Oscar Qorder glared at Ermand while Professor Chestnut continued his class, ignoring Ermand.

"Chisel, I had a brief check on your profile." A vicious small grin appeared on his face.

He must've found it, and now I have no proof to show him, but there's still hope.

The High professor will help me with this, after all, he wrote the note...

Ermand returned a nod, that was only he could do. He remembered Oscar's words vividly more than anything.

The Professor smirked and lead Ermand's path into a large staircase which Ermand never climbed onto. The huge stairs turned around in a spiral way into another large hall that greeted them with silence. The hall was a junction to many archways to its sides. Straight to them, an unusual narrow stairs made of some other material other than the Rogiatum stone stood. It could only fit two people at a time.

Ermand quietly followed Professor Qorder to the narrow stairs, its path shone due to some unique crystals embedded on the walls. The stair seemed endless as they climbed for more than five minutes. At last, the stairs were getting wider and wider that ended at a grand door. It was a polished but old-seeming wooden door.

When both of them entered the room, the same sweet smell of burning candles rushed into Ermand's nostrils.

"Welcome, Ermand Chisel."

The voice belonged to Professor Zaugustus Lewcent. Somehow, half of Ermand's worry were wiped off with his presence. His voice felt pleasing to Ermand's ears.

"Thank you, sir."

"Sorry to interrupt you with your first class, but this is a serious case we need to discuss," he gestured to Ermand to sit on the cushioned chair straight to him.

A simple chandelier gave light to the small seeming large room with countless rows of bookshelves that nearly filled half of the space. The room looked empty despite the bookshelves.

There was a heavy table in the middle of the room and a teapoy, around which the high professor was seated. A brass kettle was brewing in the air.

When Ermand seated himself, he realized there weren't just the High Professorrofessor and the Qorder but several others were standing beside.

The kettle slowly flew toward his cup and poured hot tea.

"Sugar?" The High Professor asked with a genuine smile.

"No, thank you."

"Didn't have the privilege to drink tea with sugar." Ermand heard someone mutter, but he pretended that he didn't hear it.

"I'll come straight to the point," he said. "Is it true that you don't have a magic school certificate?" The smile on his face didn't fade away. He looked at Ermand in a fatherly way.

"I-I don't..."

"Then how dare you--"

"Professor Qorder, please... Ermand, did you write a magic school name in the form for the Defenders selection?"

"Yes..."

He heard some professors sighing, exasperated.

"Did you lie that you're a Chisel?"

"No!"

Ermand didn't expect he would answer that question in such a voice that'd exceed all of the professors'.

"I-I--"

"It is okay. One more question."

Ermand nodded while he secretly gulped.

"Who are your parents?"

"Helmuth Chisel and--"

"Are you sure?"

The question was beside the point. However, it hit straight into Ermand's chest like an arrow. It reminded him of his real parents, whom he never wanted to remember. He never saw them but had heard from the elders that they were not dead, instead, they left him. No child would ever want to know that kind of parent. It took awhile for Ermand to answer the question.

"Yes."

"Alright, you may go back to your class-"

"Go back to the class? Expel him, Professor Lewcent! For lying, tricking and creating a scene in the Grottin's hall!"

"Forgive me Professor Lewcent but I see a great potential in having Ermand in our college."

"I can't believe this! Tell me what you saw in him?"

"I think professor Derek Chestnut is teaching Clan studies right now. The Origin of the clans. Most probably, the subject might be emphasizing on what each clan stands for. I hope you get me right professor Qorder," Professor Lewcent nodded curtly at Oscar. Oscar turned his head away from the direction of the high professor.

"He hadn't gone to a magic school before. How is he supposed to learn magic far advanced than his knowledge?" Professor Qorder snapped.

"He will learn, and we will see," the Professor asserted. A reassuring smile developed on his face.

"So you're giving admission to a liar to one of the best colleges in Iyerth?"

"Are we all not liars, Professor Qorder?"

The Qorder slightly snarled before storming out of the room, his hands tightly clenched into a round fist. The sound of his heavy steps on the stairs echoed through the opened door of the room.

Upon the High Professor's order, the rest Professors exited the room.

"I'm sorry Professor Lewcent."

"Ermand, I hate people who lie, but we all are liars. The worst I hate about is people who commit their mistakes twice. Have your tea leisurely and get back to your class. I'll ask professor Chestnut to stay back for you after all the classes are done."

"Thank you, Professor Lewcent."

"Can I ask you one more question, Ermand?"

Ermand paused while he was busy sipping the tea.

"Sure, Professor."

"Helmuth Chisel told me that you aren't a true Chisel. Isn't that true?"

Why did they say that to him?

Ermand mused for a moment before answering him yes.

"Do you know them?"

"No."

"Why didn't you bother to know the truth about your parents, to know the truth of who they are?"

Nobody ever asked Ermand such a question, and Ermand never wanted to ask the question to his foster parents or brothers. When he knew that his real parents left him when he was a kid, he didn't want to know more about them anymore.

"I didn't want to know."

"Can I ask why?"

"I would've been in the Chisels' house if they didn't leave me."

"They left you?"

"When I was just three and a half."

"I'm sorry, Ermand..."

"It's alright, Professor. I've been used to everything now. My peers used to taunt me with this since the time I remember."

"If you got a chance to get to know them, would you consider taking use of the opportunity?"

"I wouldn't."

The man slightly frowned at his immediate answer.

"Why?"

"I hate them, whoever they are. Wherever they are."

Ermand drank the tea in a single sip, and gently placed it on the table.

"Ermand. Sorry to bother you but can I ask you one last question?"

Ermand nodded, his gaze imperceptibly turned to the bookshelves behind Professor Lewcent.

"Wouldn't you consider looking into the circumstances your parents had to go through?"

Ermand had an immediate answer to this, but when he thought it over before letting it escape out of his mouth, he couldn't utter his reason. He believed that no parents would ever leave their child in any tough situation. He believed that a father's or mother's love is the strongest affection among all.

His mind dwelled in a short while of deep thought. It wasn't the question that left him thinking, but the way Professor Lewcent used to ask him.

"I... can't seem to find an answer, Professor. I'm--I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I hope you'll find the answer somehow. Also, keep our conversation a secret."

"Okay, sir."

Why did he ask me a conversation that is completely related to me to be kept a secret?